Terry Boot and Professor Binns's Extra Credit
by bluemeanies
Summary: Ravenclaw, the founders, no death count as yet , a crazy extra credit, division by zero, the grey lady, possible romance in the future, minor characters highlighted, and oh yes, that shoe kid *chapters 8 and 9* r/r abandoned
1. A question of house honor

**Hi! This is Moey. All of my comments, suggestions, and corrections are in bold between the asterisks.**  
  
Terry Boot and Professor Binns's Extra Credit Assignment  
  
Chapter 1: A question of house honor  
  
"Terry, Terry, Terry, not to pressure you, but there is a real opportunity for Ravenclaw house here," Roger Davies, the seventh year prefect of Ravenclaw house said while staring down at him. "Now, we have very good information that Hermione Granger is going to earn a C in Professor Snape's class."  
  
"Roger, leave the poor girl alone. It's not her fault Professor Snape hates her, slimy git." Tina Turtledove, another seventh year was peering over her book, interrupted his ranting.  
  
"That has nothing to do with it. The last time that the top student in the graduating year was not a Ravenclaw was Lily Evans of Gryffindor in 1977. The last time a Slytherin was top student was Thomas Riddle in 1944. And the last time a HUFFLEPUFF was top student was Kyle McKinnon in 1893. This distinction belongs to Ravenclaw, like the sun moves from east to west. To not earn it would be like spitting on Rowena Ravenclaw's grave. Now Terry, you are the second best student in the fifth year. If she does get a C in Potions you will be the best student in the fifth year as long as you get straight A's. You are getting straight A's, right?"  
  
Roger Davies tended to get scary when he was excited, and Terry was more easily scared than most. He preferred to escape the notice of everyone else, and would curl up alone with a book. He didn't really care if Hermione was top student, but didn't want to face the anger of his housemates if he blew this.  
  
"I'm doing fine this year, but I'm a little worried about History of Magic. Binns didn't like my last essay, and gave me a C when I argued against the precious metal standard for wizarding money," Terry answered truthfully.  
  
"Terry, I don't care how you do it, but you had better ace that class," Roger said, and then walked up the stairs to his room. Terry, after looking at the time, walked out of the common room and made his way up to his favorite hideout, the Astronomy Tower. He liked to go up there when there was no class and stare at the stars and the clouds.  
  
***  
  
Terry was lying on his back, staring out at the sky with his book lying open on his chest. There was a noise behind him startling him to look up. He saw the Grey Lady enter the room and she glided over to be beside him. The Grey Lady was the Ravenclaw house ghost, but unlike the Fat Friar, Nearly Headless Nick and even the Bloody Baron, she didn't normally interact with the students in her house very often. Terry was surprise to find her here.  
  
"H..hel...hello," Terry said.  
  
"Hello, I heard what Roger was saying to you today in the common room. I felt sorry for you," she responded.  
  
"Nothing to be sorry about, I'm just going to have to work harder in History of Magic though."  
  
"No, no, you should feel sorry for yourself. I don't know how many students I have seen breakdown, or worse, under the pressure in Ravenclaw. I should probably tell Flitwick, he'll get Davies off your back for you."  
  
"Can't you just talk to Binns? I know you ghosts are pretty close, and that essay wasn't that bad; he's just set in his ways. Why can't I argue for a political view he happens to disagree with? It really wasn't a C essay, he's just too set in his gold galleon ways,"  
  
"No, I won't argue with Binns for you, but if you do want to get on Binns's good side, why don't you do his extra credit project?"  
  
"There's an extra credit project in History of Magic!?!" Terry asked.  
  
"Oh, yes. When Professor Binns first came to this school, he offered an extra credit assignment, but no one ever completed it. Eventually he just stopped mentioning it, but it is still up on the door to his office if you would like to try."  
  
"Maybe I will, but I'd have to see that before I attempt it," Terry said, deciding that this might be just what he needed.  
  
"See that you do then, for the honor of you house. I really hate it up here."  
  
Terry was about to say goodbye to her, but found that she had already disappeared by sinking through the floor.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own the characters (except Tina, who isn't that important) or Hogwarts castle, JKR does, and therefore has all monetary and trademark rights  
  
Thanks to Moey, my beta reader. 


	2. Binns's office

Terry Boot and Professor Binns's Extra Credit Assignment  
  
Chapter 2: Professor Binns's office  
  
The next morning Terry went down to the great hall for breakfast, having for the most part cast aside thoughts of the previous night. He sat down next to his friends, Mandy Brocklehurst and Padma Patil, and started buttering himself some toast.  
  
"You're going to beat Hermione, Terry, right?" Mandy asked him as he started eating. "Show her that she can't mess with Ravenclaw."  
  
"I'm not sure. It's not her fault that Snape doesn't like her and is giving her an unfair grade. She really is rather smart, actually. Maybe she even deserves to be top student."  
  
"Come on Terry, she wouldn't be doing as well if she was in Ravenclaw and not in Gryffindor. Most of the teachers grade us harder and give us more work than any other house because we are smarter. You just have to prove it," Padma added.  
  
This wasn't going well. He had no idea that house pride ran that deep. Wasn't Mandy the girl who said she would rather wear a pink tutu for the rest of the year than attend a single Ravenclaw house Quidditch game? Didn't Padma make a whole deal of purposefully losing one hundred house points (and costing Ravenclaw the house cup in the process), protesting against the manipulation of the student body into unnecessarily competitive behavior in the third year? And now they were getting obsessed over something like student rank...  
  
"I didn't say I was going to give up and make it easy for her either."  
  
"Now that's our Terry, come on, let's go to Charms," Mandy said.  
  
"We still have half an hour, Mandy. Let's eat," Padma said, taking another bite out of her melon, and glaring at Terry's bacon (having a best friend who is a vegetarian can be annoying at times).  
  
"By the way, do you know where Professor Binns's office is?"  
  
***  
  
After having asked everyone he could, and not getting the information, Terry was beginning to think that no one knew. Whoever went there anyway? He was about to give up when he saw Fred and George Weasley walking down the hall. Figuring he would never get an answer, he decided to ask one last time. Besides the Weasley twins seemed to know more about the castle then anyone should rightfully know.  
  
"Excuse me..."  
  
"Who are you?" Fred said.  
  
"Isn't he that Shoe kid, Fred? Jerry Shoe," George added.  
  
"Erm, it's Boot actually, Terry Boot. I was wondering if you knew where Professor Binns's office is."  
  
"Why would you want to go there?" Fred said wide-eyed.  
  
"Hey, if I had a choice, I wouldn't know where Binns's classroom is," George added.  
  
"I have to talk to him about the grade I got on a paper," Terry said, thinking that if he said that he wanted to do extra-credit, they would have thought him mad.  
  
"Ravenclaw..." Fred said shaking his head.  
  
"I think we went there once, to paint something like 'The first Goblin rebellion happened in Binns's underpants.'" George said.  
  
"No. We wrote 'Binns doesn't know History, he lived it.' If I remember correctly, the office is in the third hallway going left after the library entrance," Fred said.  
  
"Thank you," Terry said, making his way to the library.  
  
***  
  
Professor Binns's office was exactly where Fred and George said it would be. Terry saw, written on the door "Where the past meets the future and promptly puts it to sleep.- Padfoot"; "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it, those who do are doomed to this office.- Moony"; "Prof. Binns, Winner of the most inattentive Hogwarts teacher award, 110 years and running.- Prongs"; "History is the art of taking the most interesting events and making them mind-numbingly dull.-Wormtail"; and "Binns doesn't know History, he lived it. Actually, he is it.- F+G". In addition to that, there was a cobweb covered piece of paper, which he assumed must be the assignment.  
  
He blew off the cobwebs and read the paper.  
  
"Write a twenty foot paper describing the lives of the founders. Then, have three members of each school house and each head of house read it and give comments. Must have a proper bibliography, and a minimum of five sources. Can be in the form of either a scholarly paper or a narrative. Good for one letter grade."  
  
No wonder no one had done it yet, twenty feet! Terry thought about it a while, then decided to try. Everyone was counting on him. But it wouldn't be fun.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: JKR and the WB own all rights to the Harry Potter universe, so I reject the right to earn money from this fic. 


	3. Research

Terry Boot and Professor Binns's Extra Credit Assignment  
  
Chapter 3: Research  
  
As soon as he had free time, Terry went to the library and started looking for books about the founders. He soon found that he had bitten off more than he could chew. There were so many books on this subject, that he was surprised Binns had ever chosen it as an assignment. Why wouldn't he have chosen to have them write about something hideous like the development of wanded magic, on which there probably weren't five books to site.  
  
However, once he started going over his material, he realized that there was going to be a problem. Even though there were many books, none of them were in agreement, even about basics such as when they died or where they came from. After looking at it he decided that this was going to be near impossible to come up with a historically accurate account. The best he could do was to write about what the conflicts in the literature were, and there implications. But, if he did that, he would not have been able to get the 16 people he needed to read it to even try. It had to be a narrative, and it had to be accurate enough to satisfy Binns.  
  
He was considering giving up, but his actual grade in History of Magic was suffering. Professor Binns was either being harder on him than he had in previous years, or he was writing worse essays. His analysis of the The Influences of the Advances in Astronomy and Nautical Magics on Trade in the 1400's had only gotten a B, and his report on the personalities leading the first Goblin revolution had actually gotten a C-. He might actually need this extra credit, after all. Everyone in Ravenclaw had been watching his grade intensely, and the only way he could still live in peace was to continue working on the extra credit, giving them hope.  
  
Terry had come up with a way to classify the works written about the founders. The first, and by far the largest, was the group that Terry called the 'Heroic Godric'works. These always portrayed Godric as the natural leader of the original school, with Rowena and Helga mostly in the background supporting Gryffindor against an evil Salazar. The problem was that these never agreed with others in the group in details. In addition, most of these had been written recently, with the largest crop dating from the recent war against Voldemort. He could easily have written something based on this model forgetting about the need for accuracy, but the problem was three Slytherins and Professor Snape had to read it, and he wasn't sure he could live through that experience.  
  
Terry called the second group the 'Justified Salazar'. This one tended to scare him, actually. It usually involved Salazar as a solitary figure, fighting for what was right in the wizarding world, ridding it of Muggle pollution and Muggle threat, against three misguided idiots. However, that wasn't always so. Sometimes Rowena sided with him, but not completely. In these, Helga was usually considered Muggle-born, and Godric was an egotistical jerk. He really doubted these accounts told the true, or at least complete, story. They did agree with all the 'Heroic Godrics' in one point though- Slytherin left the school after a disagreement with Godric, and they met again in a battle where Salazar was killed.  
  
The third group, which he disliked even more than the 'Justified Salazar' was the 'Whorish Ravenclaw' (but considering his house, it wasn't surprising). In these, Rowena was sleeping with both Godric and Salazar (and sometimes Helga) and was forced to choose between her lovers. She always chose Godric in the end, but it didn't sit well.  
  
He put everything else in the miscellaneous category. These jumped around everywhere, from a 'Heroic Rowena', to an 'Evil Helga' and even a story where the founders were the split personalities of a single person. None of these were helping him to come up with a coherent picture of the schools founding. He had spent a month trying to get this in order, and he felt that he was no closer to finding a good source, when he overheard Professor Snape talking with Professor Trelawny.  
  
"You know Severus, I always have trouble remembering the students' names. Of course, I can't spend too much time with them, but it is absolutely necessary for the next lesson on genealogical fortune telling with the seventh years, that I know."  
  
"Why don't you try the register, Sybill. It has every student ever admitted to Hogwarts listed, and can help you not only review the names, but it will give you a good idea of many students genealogies," Professor Snape said.  
  
"Oh, I never thought of that," she said, walking away rather quickly. Professor Snape let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. Terry, however, had a similar feeling of inspiration. If he knew who the first students were, he would be able to better tell who was telling the truth, and in all likelihood one or two would have written their own books about the founding.  
  
***  
  
The following day, Terry was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Three of the original students had actually written books, and what was more,they agreed with eachother. In addition, one of the later 'Justified Slytherins' agreed with the specifics if not the interpretation. He had four sources, and he was unsure if the register itself would qualify as a source, which would make it possible to actually start the paper. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around suddenly and saw Hermione Granger, closely followed by Ginny Weasley. Terry blushed.  
  
"Hi, Terry. How are you?" Hermione said.  
  
"Oh..uh, hi. I'm fine, and you?" Terry replied.  
  
"Fine, fine. What are you working on? It doesn't look like any of our homework," Hermione said, peering at the stack of books.  
  
"Oh just extra credit for Binns." Terry said.  
  
"Binns is offering extra credit?" Hermione asked excitedly.  
  
Terry, quickly realizing his mistake, sought to cover it up. "Oh, you wouldn't want to bother. It really is nearly impossible, and I've almost given up on it many times."  
  
"Oh, so let me know how it goes then. I might consider doing it later. Right now, actually, I'm just trying to stay afloat in Potions," Hermione said.  
  
Terry was relieved. "When I'm done, maybe you could read it and give me your response, you too Ginny."  
  
"Why, we would love too," Ginny said, without giving Hermione time to consider the matter. "Hermione, what was it you were going to show me... a book about freckle-removing spells..." and the two girls left.  
  
"Hmph...she definitely does need those freckle-removing spells," said a voice behind him. Terry turned to see the Grey Lady sitting across for him.  
  
"Actually, I find her freckles rather...What were you doing listening to my conversations?"  
  
"I was just checking to see how you were doing with your extra credit," she said, pouting.  
  
"Fine. It was hard, but I finally found four good sources. I just need one more," Terry responded.  
  
"What is it about?" she asked.  
  
"I have to write a 20 page paper or narrative of the founders," he said tiredly.  
  
"Why don't you try the plain, brown book on the bottom shelf of the last column of the fifth row? It might be helpful," she said, then walked away through the nearest bookshelf.  
  
Terry shook his head, then decided to check out the book. Couldn't hurt. When he bent down, and read the first page he was stunned. It said:  
  
August 19, 1038 AD  
  
Hello diary. My name is Helga Hufflepuff...  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: You know the deal, a lot of this belongs to JKR 


	4. Mandy and Padma

Terry Boot and Professor Binns's Extra Credit Assignment  
  
Chapter 4: Padma and Mandy  
  
Terry had finally gathered the information he needed to do the project. He had his sources, he had his story, and now all he needed to do was get it done and find his readers. Actually, he was quite surprised by some of the things he turned up. Would Ravenclaw actually do that? Hufflepuff was what? Slytherin could be nice? Gryffindor was that foolish?  
  
After three straight nights of writing he finished. He decided that despite the fact that Hermione and Ginny had promised to read it, he should start with his own house. He was a little nervous as to how everyone would react, and figured his friends wouldn't curse him for his troubles.  
  
"Mandy, Padma could you read this and repond to it?" Terry asked.  
  
"Not now, I need to study," Mandy replied.  
  
"It's my History of magic extra credit, and I need you to read it," Terry said.  
  
"Really," Mandy perked up and took the paper.  
  
"I'll read it after her, if that's OK, Terry," Padma said.  
  
"Yes, that's fine," Terry responded.  
  
***  
  
The Founders Four by Terry Boot  
  
  
  
The Baron of Urquhurt Castle sat waiting for his top adviser to arrive for a very important meeting. Salazar kept his barony running well, but when asked for details, the Baron was never certain he was getting the whole truth. And then there was all the time that Salazar spent 'instructing' his son and heir. That made him fearful. And after last night...  
  
"Your excellency requested me." How does he always catch me unawares... the Baron wondered. Still, he would regret what he had to do.  
  
"Yes. The barony is thriving after our most recent defeat of the Duke Pig, am I getting that name right?"  
  
"Sir, he was actually known as the Duke of Kilgore, but his subjects called him Hogwarts, something about his face. Your forces defeated his handily. Indeed, it was such a glorious victory that the men are even saying that Commander Gryffindor led the charge astride a dragon, if you believe that. Anyway, we overtook the meadow that the castle overlooked, and then your catapults destroyed his walls. A thorough, and I must say, rather profitable victory."  
  
"Yes, yes, but we have more pressing measures to discuss."  
  
"As always m'lord. After the expenses of the war, it seems necessary that we raise taxes, if only temporarily, in order to recover our losses. I think that ten percent would be correct..."  
  
"No, Salazar, that is not what I wanted to talk to you about. Yesterday, it seems that somebody had poisoned my food. I was very lucky to catch it before I ate. Now, would you happen to have any information about that?"  
  
"No, sir. I would suggest a thorough investigation be started. In fact, why didn't you contact me earlier? We would have caught the culprits by now...oh." Salazar saw the intense angry look on the Baron's face, and decided there could be only one possibility. "Your excellency, I assure you I would never do such a thing. I have served you loyally for 13 years, if I must remind you, and am completely reliant on you for my position here."  
  
"Nonetheless, Salazar- You do know an awful lot about poison, and you have been spending a lot of time with my heir. I am warning you not to try such a thing because you will get caught, and if you were responsible for last nights attempt I will see to itthat you are drawn and quartered. Do you understand?" The Baron glowered and started to get up from his thrown.  
  
"Yes, m'lord. Now if you will excuse me I have work to do." Salazar turned around and walked out of the baron's quarters for the last time.  
  
***  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: JKR owns them  
  
Thanks to Moey, my beta reader 


	5. Justin Finch-Fletchy and Hannah Abbot

Terry Boot and Professor Binns's Extra Credit Assignment  
  
Chapter 5: Justin Finch-Fletchy and Hannah Abbot  
  
Terry was sitting in his Ancient Runes class not paying much attention as the professor went on and on about druidic runes and their uses in spell craft. Instead, the thought that kept pacing through his head was, 'two down, fourteen to go.'  
  
Maybe he should ask Hermione and Ginny next, but he would have to actually walk over and talk to them, something that he did not find the courage to do. If he could avoid it, he wouldn't ask any Slytherins or teachers until he absolutely had to, and he was confident his project went over well with other students.  
  
Why hadn't he thought of it earlier? He could ask Hufflepuffs to read it. He actually had friends in that house, if you counted people you say hi to in the hallways friends, and it wasn't likely to be offensive, at least not very, to them.  
  
After class he walked up to Justin Finch-Fletchy and Hannah Abbot, both of whom took ancient runes at the same time as the Ravenclaws.  
  
"Hey, Justin, Hannah- would you like to read my extra credit for Binns?"  
  
"You're doing extra credit for Binns?" Hannah exclaimed. "Are you crazy?"  
  
"Well, maybe. But I have to have three people from each house read it, and I was wondering if you would do the honors?"  
  
"Oh, all-right. If you let us have it, we'll try to get it back to you by tomorrow," Justin said.  
  
***  
  
Rowena Ravenclaw was tending to the Baron's falcons. For as long as could be remembered her family had been in charge of the birds which were used by the Barons on their hunting trips. Officially, her father was the falconer, but Rowena, in addition to being the 'royal fortune seer', had taken on the job when he had fallen ill.  
  
"Well, Jorgil, it has been a rather boring day hasn't it? Sun is shining, not a cloud in the air. And yet, I have the strangest feeling... Oh, well. Here's some more millet," Rowena cooed to her favorite bird.  
  
"Rowena..."  
  
"Salazar, I didn't hear you enter," Rowena said.  
  
"Good, shows I haven't lost everything, I still have my skill," he said, baring a scheming smile.  
  
"Come now, Salazar, you can't have lost everything. Everyone knows that the Baron trusts you more than anyone else. Why, I'll never know," Rowena replied.  
  
"Apparently he's wised up. But the infuriating part is that it is something I didn't even do. Someone poisoned the Baron's food yesterday, and he thinks I did it," he said shaking his head.  
  
"And you didn't," Rowena said doubtfully. She was never sure whether she could trust her brother-in-law.  
  
"If I had tried to kill the Baron, he would be dead," Salazar growled angrily.  
  
"So great to see your loyalty there. If you mind telling me why you came to see me, or was it just to gripe?"  
  
"Is Bulrian here?" Salazar asked.  
  
"No, he went out with all the other boys to the market. Some Romany arrived yesterday and have put on a show. He'd better watch himself, they can be pretty tricky," Rowena said.  
  
"If my son can't hold up against gypsies, it's his own damn fault. Could you tell him when he comes back to come see me?" Salazar said. Ever since her sister Robin had died he had left the raising of his son to a variety of different relatives, including most recently Rowena. It was very unusual for him to take the slightest interest in the boy.  
  
"And why would he need to talk to you? He never talks about you, you know, and I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't know who you were," Rowena said.  
  
"I plan to leave the castle tonight, with Bulrian."  
  
"Is Salazar afraid of the Baron? I thought you could kill him anytime you wanted. Or you could just rob him blind by appropriating his treasury money, or do you already do that?" To tell the truth, she really didn't like being in the same castle, let alone the same room as Slytherin.  
  
"I'm not afraid. It's just that I'm afraid that this will not be the most, hmmm, hospitable atmosphere. In addition, I have been getting tired of parading as a Muggle at court. It is time to move on to bigger and better things." Rowena was scared. He had the smile that said he had something in mind, and that usually meant bad things.  
  
"And what exactly would those be?"  
  
"Rowena, haven't you ever noticed that magic is fading away in Britain? Fewer and fewer witches and wizards are taking apprentices, and those who do normally take in kin. Already witches and wizards aren't as skilled as we used to be. Here is an exception, with you, me and Godric, but one hundred years from now I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a single wizard left in the British Isles."  
  
"You really are a pessimist, Salazar. But even if it is so, what does it have to do with your plans?" Rowena couldn't help but be interested in his ramblings, but still wasn't sure if she wanted to be involved.  
  
"Everything. It is obvious that the old apprentice system isn't working anymore. To save wizarding, I am going to build a school, and be revered throughout the ages for having started the revival of wizarding. It would be a good change I think," Salazar said.  
  
A school. Now that was something she hadn't thought of before, but it made perfect sense. To produce a better and more connected magical community, that was a goal she could actually work towards.  
  
"All right Salazar, I'll go with you and help you found this school. When were you going to ask Godric?"  
  
"Rowena, you obviously read more into my speech that was intended. I wasn't asking you along, this is something I would rather do by myself. I wouldn't presume to ask you to leave your home, just to go chasing after my crazy dream," Salazar said, looking rather shocked.  
  
"Well, whether you intended to ask me or not, this job is too big for one person. Either I come with you, or I tell the Baron you're leaving. Same goes for asking Godric." Rowena didn't understand why she wanted this so much, but the idea had taken a hold of her mind and she wasn't about to leave it alone.  
  
"But you know how much I can't stand Gryffindor!" he screamed at her. Well at least she could be sure he wasn't so upset over her coming anymore. She continued to stare at him. Eventually he broke.  
  
"If we ask Gryffindor, you have to let me ask one more person," Salazar said, regaining his composure. Rowena wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or bad thing; whoever he asked could very well be as bad as Salazar or worse. But then, she had gotten him to ask Godric, which had to be as bad for him as anything he could do to her.  
  
"It's a deal. Now where are we going?"  
  
"Hogwart's castle."  
  
"You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?" Rowena asked.  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Unless you have eaten bad mushrooms, it is obvious that I do not own most of the characters nor do I own Hogwarts. That pleasure goes to JKR.  
  
A/n Ok, so now you have some more idea of the story of the founders. I decided not to include the responses of his readers after each part, but am rather saving them for when I'm done with the founder's story, because a good response might be too much of a spoiler.  
  
Thank you Abby Gabriella- I enjoyed writing the marauders bits probably as much as you enjoyed reading them.  
  
And thanks again to Moey for beta-reading 


	6. Godric

Terry Boot and Professor Binns's Extra Credit  
  
Chapter 6: Godric  
  
  
  
Justin Finch Fletchey and Hannah Abbot slowly walked over to the Ravenclaw table. Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw wasn't exactly the worst rivalry in the school, no that distinction went hands down to Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Friendships were actually rather common between the two houses. But the general relationship between the two houses was rather cold. Ravenclaws had been known to call the Hufflepuffs thickheaded and other, worse things, while frequently Hufflepuffs would say the Ravenclaws were lazy show offs or worse It was in good fun, but it would be seen as a little unusual for a Hufflepuff to walk over to the Ravenclaw table at dinner.  
  
"Hannah, Justin. What did you think of it?" Terry called toward the duo.  
  
"Oh, hi, Terry. Yes, we rather enjoyed it. Where did you come up with some of what you put in there?" Hannah said.  
  
"It was all in the research, although some of the accounts were contradictory. What I put in there was mainly the most corroborated," Terry said.  
  
"Well, whatever you say. I could have sworn some of that was fiction. I mean, I always thought Salazar was more like Draco Malfoy, evil emitting from every gesture. You made it seem that people might think him, well, admirable. At least in the beginning," Justin said.  
  
"He wasn't that admirable, just slippery. He couldn't be nearly as effective if nobody trusted him," Terry responded.  
  
"Ok, let us know how it works out," Hannah said.  
  
"Thank you for reading it over," Terry said, and then quickly finished his dinner. He was going to try to approach Hermione and, worse Ginny, about his project later tonight, and he was feeling a little woozy. He excused himself and walked back up to the Ravenclaw common room to do some reading before he tried.  
  
"How is the great Binns project going along?" the Grey Lady said sitting down next to him. Evidently, she had decided that he was her project this year.  
  
"Don't you have better things to do?" Terry said annoyed.  
  
"No, not really. When you've been dead as long as I have, any distraction is a welcome one. So did you get anyone to read your project?"  
  
"Yes, Padma, Mandy, Hannah, and Justin."  
  
"So not Ms. Top Student or Ms. Way Too Many Freckles yet," The Grey Lady said, smiling at him.  
  
"No, and stop making fun of her freckles!" Terry exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, somebody's got it bad," she said, leaving through the window.  
  
***  
  
Godric Gryffindor was sitting in his study, reviewing his recent victory over the Old Duke one more time. It had been beautiful, with him leading the charge, riding on his Hebridian Black, and routing the Dukes forces. Of course, it could never be publicly acknowledged, but the image still filled him with awe. The only thing that he could think of that would be better would be to confront old Slytherin over his stealing from the Duke.  
  
Knock   
  
Godric got up out of his chair and opened the door. He saw Rowena standing there. Usually, something like this would only happen in his dreams. This couldn't be happening.  
  
"Hello Rowena, would you care to join me for dinner?" Godric asked.  
  
"I am sorry Godric, but this is not a social call. I came to tell you that we are planning on leaving tonight," Rowena said.  
  
His smile dropped a little, "Rowena, you aren't serious. This is way too sudden. Even if you are going to leave, which is a silly idea, you should stay a few more days to prepare... Did you say 'we'?"  
  
"Me, Bulrian, and Salazar. And I came to ask you if you would come with us," Rowena said.  
  
"You want me to leave with that ... that ... you're leaving with that... serpent of Satan?"  
  
"Come on Godric, Salazar might be dodgy, but he's not that bad. Besides he's offering so much more than I could get by staying here," Rowena spat. Godric looked at her puzzled.  
  
"What, certain death?" he snapped.  
  
"An opportunity to do something more with my life than waste away in the turrets, hiding my abilities, and listening to the court ladies idle babble about who has taken whom as a lover," She responded.  
  
"And you trust him?! Especially after the suspicious circumstances surrounding your sister's death?! You have to have other options," Godric raged.  
  
"I know Salazar is slime. That is precisely why I want you to come along, I don't really trust him with Bulrian, and I sure as hell don't trust him to run a school alone. I can probably handle him for a while, but I need support. Especially since he plans on inviting someone else to join us," Rowena said, raising her voice.  
  
"A school?" Godric was confused.  
  
"A school to teach Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the ruins of Hogwart's Castle," Rowena replied.  
  
"And you, Salazar, and someone else are going to run it?" Godric was clearly thinking this over.  
  
"Yes, with your help if you want. Just think Godric, no more pretending to be a Muggle, no more covering it up, letting your skills lay dormant. These aren't the days of Merlin when magical people could wander around freely. Magic is faltering in this country and we can try to stop it." Rowena was getting excited over this.  
  
Godric sighed. She was going against his better judgment, and he wasn't sure he'd ever see her again if he didn't leave now. And he still felt the pain in his legs from the victory. He was getting older, and wouldn't be able to endure battle much longer, at which point he would have to find something new. So maybe leaving now and starting fresh was a good idea. He was just having trouble picturing himself as an educator- wasn't it something monks and not soldiers did? After contemplating for a while, he let out another deep breath.  
  
"All right, when do we leave?" Godric said.  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: JKR owns the characters, and even if she does neglect them (why don't we see any Ravenclaws other that Cho???) She owns the rights, so you can't give me money.  
  
Million thanks to Moey  
  
J Odell- Thanks 


	7. Blaise Zabini

Terry Boot and Professor Binns's Extra Credit Assignment  
  
Chapter 7: Blaise Zabini  
  
  
  
Terry felt like kicking himself over his complete failure to talk to Ginny the previous night. He had gone down to the Great hall to see if they were there, but discovered that they had retired for the night. Just to be sure, he walked around looking for the Gryffindor Dormitory, which, if he remembered correctly from third year, was guarded by a painting of a fat lady. But he gave up after ten minutes and returned to his dormitory. Now he wouldn't get to talk to her until later today, after he had gone through Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Potions with the Hufflepuffs and right now Herbology with...  
  
"Boot, you're supposed to plant the dragonspore, not your hand," Professor Sprout yelled towards him. All around him, the Slytherins snorted with laughter, and he swore he heard Draco Malfoy say "And he is supposed to be a smart one." Or something along that line.  
  
Terry blushed, pulled his hand out of the ground, (was he really paying so little attention that he accidentally planted it) and a whole new set of problems started running through his mind. He had to get three Slytherins to read, and none of them were particularly approachable. Draco Malfoy was rude and dangerous (he remembered the time Draco had used the "Heliosis" hex on Lisa Turpin, calling her a Mudblood whilst she floated to the ceiling), and Terry wouldn't approach him in a million years. Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's friends, were way too stupid for him to trust with his paper. Pansy Parkinson and the gaggle of Slytherin girls would probably try to accomplish their great "Get Millicent a Date Challenge" if he went anywhere near them. Which left...  
  
Blaise Zabini, the Slytherin loner. Although he shared the same room with Draco and the other boys, he had never seen them talk to each other. Zabini never spoke, just strode around the school, emitting a sense of ownership, wearing sunglasses even when it was raining and all black clothing under his robes smoking a cigarette. It was even speculated that he wore black underwear. In fact that was one of the nicer rumors. Some of the more common ones were that he was a Vampire, that he didn't speak because he didn't want the other Slytherins to know he was Muggleborn, that he was blind, that he was a Communist, and that he had 'private lessons' with Professor Snape. The most unbelievable one was that he came from a secret wizard moon colony. Over all, not an easy person to approach, but better than anyone else. So after finishing Herbology and having successfully planted his dragonspore and not his hand, he decided to try.  
  
"Er, Blaise, can I speak to you for a second?" he said, as Zabini walked along ignoring him.  
  
Terry walked next to him, trying to keep up. "It's really important. You see, I'm doing an extra credit for Professor Binns and..."  
  
Zabini stopped in his tracks. "Extra credit for Binns," he said pulling off his sunglasses and staring down at Terry. He had purple eyes. Was it natural to have purple eyes? Terry was distracted for a moment, and then continued.  
  
"Yes, you see I had to write this report about the Founders and have three people from each house read it, and I was wondering if you would do the honors." Zabini glared at him, then suddenly smiled and laughed.  
  
"Sure, if you are crazy enough to do extra credit for Binns, it would be wrong for me to not be crazy enough to read it."  
  
Terry gave Blaise the manuscript, and then walked away, slightly shaken.  
  
***  
  
"Is this the place where we are meeting your dark accomplices. Salazar?" Godric said disapprovingly as they approached a dilapidated hut at the edge of a clearly impoverished village.  
  
"Rowena, it was your idea to bring the big oaf, I shall hold you responsible for stopping him from making me kill him," Salazar growled.  
  
"You won't get a chance, I'll have killed you first," Godric responded.  
  
"Aunt Rowena," Bulrian begged.  
  
"Yes," Rowena responded.  
  
"Do they always fight like this?"  
  
"For as long as I can remember. Now, if your father has indeed found the correct house, we will meet this friend of his."  
  
"This is the right house. Now if you will follow me, we will go and meet her," Salazar said, annoyed at them. He knocked on the door.  
  
A young girl with blazing red hair opened the door, peered out then closed the door.  
  
***  
  
"Miss Helga, there are some fine folk outside should I invite them in?" Zoe asked.  
  
"By all means do, child," Helga said. Zoe ran back to the door.  
  
"You may come in," Zoe said, than curtsied. Rowena, Salazar, Godric, and Bulrian walked in and took a seat on the bench around the table.  
  
"Now, before we start, Lady and Gentleman, no I do not know the secrets of immortality and I cannot turn lead into gold, nor do I claim to have any special insight into the future. I cannot guarantee you victory and I refuse to be hired out for assassinations, so I would like to tell you that I am very pleased by your attention, but this simple village healer cannot help you, so if you'll be on your way," Hufflepuff said, walking back to the door, opening it as if to see them out.  
  
"Well, that's fine," Salazar said. "For victory, you can go to Godric, if you want to know the future, ask Rowena even though she'll tell you that she doesn't know anything about it, and I'll take care of the assassinations. As for immortality and lead into gold, none of us know the secrets either, but we'll be sure to tell you if we find them later."  
  
Helga let out a breath, "Well then, what did you come here for? I must tell you it is very rare for me to get such attention from nobility, and when I do it is for such unusual requests as those. Now, if you'll tell me your names and business, I am in a hurry. The Smith's twins have come down with smallpox and I would like to finish brewing their medicine as soon as possible. Zoe, why don't you add the root of dragonspore now? That's a dear."  
  
Rowena decided to start. "Well, we were leaving the Baron of Loch Ness's castle…"  
  
"Now I should think you would want to. I mean, there is nothing good there. The Baron is a bloody old idiot, and his chief advisor is, if anything, worse because he's got brains. And the most brutal general I have seen in a while leads his army, and he relies on some seer for much of his policy. Now you must be relieved to be back among sensible people. Never had much stock for nobility. A witch's true calling is to serve the common people, that's what I always say. Excuse me, you haven't properly introduced yourselves," Hufflepuff said.  
  
Rowena, Godric, and Salazar were all staring at her.  
  
It was Salazar who spoke. "I am Salazar Slytherin, the adviser you just spoke so derisively about, and this boy is my son, Bulrian. The lady is Rowena Ravenclaw, the seer, and that is Godric Gryffindor, the general."  
  
Helga paled a little then went right on with her continual talking, "Oh, well, no hard feelings then. I tend to ramble quite often about little things that I don't really mean. So now, what is your business here, anyway? I wouldn't expect such important people at my doorstep under any circumstances, and you caught me quite unaware."  
  
"We were heading off to start a magic school and I was wondering if you would like to join us," Salazar said. The other two gave him a look that said quite plainly that they would rather have left and forgot about inviting her.  
  
"A magic school. You know, that sounds like a good idea. You know, just yesterday I was talking with Serena Little, she's the healer two villages west, about how many talented children weren't getting prenticeships. Can't take on more than one at a time, or else Zoe wouldn't be my only. I would love to come with you, but I need to finish this potion and contact Serena to take over my patients and get us all packed up. When were you planning on leaving?"  
  
"As soon as you're ready. We have to go back to our camp tonight, but we'll come tomorrow to help you prepare. Goodnight." Salazar said, as the others followed him out of the hut.  
  
When they were a good ways away, Rowena asked, "Why did you have to ask her, Salazar?"  
  
Salazar responded, " I had to choose someone who would annoy you as much as Godric does me. Fitting revenge, isn't it."  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: JKR owns most of the things and people/ghosts in this fiction. I think I own Tina (a random Ravenclaw), Bulrian and Zoe, but you can borrow them  
  
Thanks again to Moey  
  
Moon Dancer: Thank you for your reviews. I agree with you when you say it is disappointing how few reviews there are for this, but I'm not really writing it for reviews. I'm writing it because it is fun.  
  
Review Poll: Who do you like more- Coyote or Roadrunner? 


	8. Hogsmeade

Terry Boot and Professor Binns' Extra Credit  
  
Chapter 8: Hogsmeade  
  
"Terry, you say you need three people from each house to read this." Blaise Zabini said as he returned the manuscript to Ginny.  
  
"Err, yes actually." Terry replied there was something in the other boy's tone that told him not to trust what was going to come next.  
  
"I was wondering who else from Slytherin you were going to get to read it." Blaise said staring down at Terry.  
  
"I'll find someone, thank you. I need to get along to class." Terry said, starting to walk away.  
  
"If you do something for me, I can get you two more people to read it." Blaise said.  
  
Terry turned around and looked at Blaise, "What would I have to do?"  
  
"You know, Millicent Bulstrode? She's a really nice girl, and would be flattered if someone would take her to Hogsmeade." Blaise said smiling.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I have friends to meet in Hogsmeade next trip already." Terry said, making it up as he went along, "I'll just have to get my Slytherin readers some other way."  
  
"Whatever." Blaise said, then walked on to his next class. Terry started walking away, but was then surprised to see Hermione walking towards him.  
  
"Hi, Terry, is that the paper you wanted me and Ginny to look over." She said, staring at the manuscript.  
  
"Yes, it is actually, would you like to read it now?" Terry asked her hopefully.  
  
"Well, I'll take it and get it back to you, if that's ok. Oh, and Ginny was wondering if you would join us in Hogsmeade next trip." Hermione said.  
  
"Really," Terry said, dropping his books, "Tell her I'd love too." He answered, picking up his books.  
  
"Alright," Hermione said smiling at him, "See you next Hogsmeade weekend," and walked away.  
  
"You know, if you forgot about freckle face you could get those Slytherin reviews, you really need them." Said a voice from behind him.  
  
Terry turned around and saw the Grey Lady floating behind him. "I can get Slytherin readers anyways, and I really need to get to class, so if you don't mind." He said, and then walked to his next class, straight through the Grey Lady.  
  
"Some people have no respect." She said then went roaming the hallways.  
  
***  
  
"So this is Hogwart's castle. A bit of a fix her up, isn't it." Helga said, as they road into the meadow below the castle.  
  
"It would have been in better shape had someone not attacked it with a dragon." Salazar said, staring at Godric.  
  
"You try forcing a besieged castle to surrender." Godric responded, glaring back at Salazar.  
  
"Boys, boys, could you stop this, it isn't that bad. Nothing that a few months hard work and a whole lot of magic can't fix. We can probably have it in a condition to take students by next harvest." After that they rode along to the castle without further fighting, much to everyone's pleasure.  
  
And a lot of hard work and magic is what they did put into it. Rowena and Godric went about reinforcing the towers and bridges by summoning stones from nearby quarries and raised the roof of the old entrance hall. Helga focused on the kitchens, teachers' rooms and classrooms, making the kitchens large enough to prepare great feasts quickly, and the classrooms good environments for teaching. She also started an improvised healers business at the castle, which helped to lessen tensions from the town of Hogsmeade who were upset about outsiders inhabiting the castle after the defeat of their duke. Salazar was installing a very ambitious plumbing and ventilations system, to make the castle more comfortable, and also to provide himself with a hidden weapon should things ever fall out of his control. Even Bulrian and Zoë 'helped', enchanting steps to disappear when stepped on, causing doors to open into different rooms than expected and creating secret rooms where they couldn't be found when the grown ups started their usual bickering.  
  
They had finished most of the structural repairs in three months, and even though the castle would undergo renovation and expansion many times, they had established the core of the school to this very day.  
  
They were sitting around the table in the great hall eating a scrumptious meal of roast pheasant when Helga asked, "So where are the students going to sleep. I mean, we have created everything in this castle, basically, except living quarters for our pupils, and it really is rather silly to not build this school with students in mind. I always say you should build something keeping its purpose in mind. In fact, we should probably have built dorms first."  
  
"I think we should build one large dorm right off the great hall for all the students. It's centrally located, and would give the students a chance to mix." Rowena said, cutting Helga off.  
  
"And make them hard to discipline. You would also be making them coeducational, which is anything but a good thing." Salazar replied.  
  
"So, how about one girls dormitory supervised by Helga and Rowena, and a boys dormitory supervised by Salazar and Godric?" Zoë offered timidly.  
  
"NO!!" everyone screamed at her.  
  
"I was only making a suggestion" she said, and started picking at her pheasant.  
  
"I don't see what is wrong with making a dorm coed as long as we keep the rooms for only one sex." Godric said.  
  
"I agree. We can trust our students, in this matter at least. Young boys and girls aren't as irresponsible as you make them out to be. " Rowena said.  
  
"So each of us is going to supervise a separate dormitory that may or may not be coed. Is that the general agreement?" Helga interposed.  
  
"If we are going to make some of them coed, we had better make them all coed." Godric said.  
  
"I'll make mine coeducational only if I can put the girls and boys on separate staircases." Salazar said.  
  
"That is fine with me. Helga, you're the last one." Godric answered.  
  
"I guess I'll have to go along." Hufflepuff said reluctantly.  
  
"So four dormitories, off the great hall, with random placement of students." Rowena said.  
  
"I don't want my dorm anywhere near his," Salazar said pointing at Godric. "I'll build it somewhere else, in secret."  
  
"Well if he can choose his location, I'm choosing mine too." Godric said and Helga nodded.  
  
"And another thing, I would rather choose the students in my dorm, so as they will get along better." Salazar said.  
  
"I am warning you, if we don't do random placement this will forever harm the school Salazar, I am not kidding." Rowena said sternly staring at him.  
  
"Rowena, don't be a worrywart. Choosing are own lodgers will reduce the tension and separate the people who don't get along. Besides, if we choose our own lodgers, we can give additional lessons to them, and more private attention from an adult they trust." Helga said.  
  
"Rowena, as much as I would like to agree with you, in the end I would much rather pick my own students than end up in charge of a second Salazar." Godric said.  
  
Rowena let out a breath, and set down her silverware in exasperation, "Fine. Have it your way. Ignore the person with the sight why don't you. You're only bringing on your own doom."  
  
"Calm down, Rowena. Now that we have that settled, what should we call the school? I think Slytherin's School for Witchcraft and Witchery is a good idea." Slytherin said.  
  
"And you get to have the school named after you because?" Godric said angrily, slamming his goblet onto the table.  
  
"Because it was my idea." Salazar replied.  
  
"I think it should be named after all of you." Zoë added timidly.  
  
"Nobody asked your opinion child." Salazar sneered.  
  
"Salazar, be nice. Zoë, that is a good idea, but a little long. How about naming the dormitories after us, and the school. ummm. Hogwarts." Helga said.  
  
"That's a good idea." Godric said. "Gryffindor will be the best house out of any."  
  
"In your dreams." Salazar said, "Slytherin can beat you with one hand tied behind their back."  
  
"Rowena, what do you think." Helga said.  
  
"Nobody cares what I think and you'll just make the decision without listening to me anyway, but I have no objection." Rowena said, then made her way out of the Great Hall to her sleeping quarters.  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Phew, long one. Sorry about the delay, computer problems. I will take any suggestions for other readers into consideration, but have for the most part decided (and no this is not democratic, so I don't think Harry will read it no matter how many requests I get.)  
  
Disclaimer: JKR and her associates own the HP universe.  
  
Poll Result: Coyote beats roadrunner. (Hooray)  
  
Review responses:  
  
Clara2000: It wouldn't be nearly as fun if they didn't hate each other. I guess the competitiveness is based partly on the stress a lot of people face to do well in school and tradition.  
  
Kaesa Aurelia Secunda: Some of the classification is based on fics I've read, but some I just let myself come up with ridiculousness. Evil Helga is one.  
  
Thanks to: Andicarmen, Monkey Buttt, Yen, textualsphinx 


	9. Warning, this story contains math

Terry Boot and Professor Binns' Extra Credit  
  
Chapter 9: Warning, this story contains math  
  
"Terry, there you are. I've been looking all over for you."  
  
Terry turned around, and was surprised to see Ginny Weasley, looking at him. "Hi Ginny." He said, trying to hide his blush.  
  
"We finished looking over your extra credit. I liked it." Ginny said.  
  
"Really, uh .thanks." Terry responded.  
  
"Well, see you around." Ginny said, then walked away towards Gryffindor tower.  
  
"Smooth, really smooth Terry, you are finally alone with her and what can you say. Hi Ginny. Thanks Ginny. Stupid stupid stupid." Terry muttered to himself, as he walked to the library to meet his Arithmancy study group.  
  
He walked to the table where Neville Longbottom, Sally-Anne Perks (a Hufflepuff girl), Hermione Granger and Cho Chang, were sitting. There were times when Terry worried about Cho, along with the rest of Ravenclaw. She had become withdrawn after Cedric's death, to the point of locking herself in the dorm, resigning from the Quidditch team and not talking to anybody. Recently, she had started talking to people again, but that was only about schoolwork. In fact, she was burying herself in schoolwork, spending every spare minute either working on her own assignments or helping younger students with theirs. The Arithmancy study group was one of her projects, and although Terry didn't really need help, he found it didn't hurt.  
  
".And then you divide the parabolic function derived in part one by zero, getting the spontaneous generation constant, the exact amount of magical energy needed to create something out of thin air without it exploding." Cho was explaining.  
  
"But you can't divide by zero! It's against basic mathematic principles." Sally-Anne cried.  
  
"Where did you learn that?" Neville said, curios.  
  
"Muggle School over the summer. It was pretty clear that division by zero is impossible, from what they taught us." Sally-Anne said.  
  
"And you trust muggles to know anything when they can't use magic?" Cho asked, a little hastily. "You said the same thing about the square root of negative one when we were doing time travel equations."  
  
"I can't use an imaginary number." Sally-Anne replied.  
  
"You go to Muggle School over the summer?" Hermione asked, looking fairly impressed, and interested by the idea.  
  
"Yes, my mom originally didn't want me to go to Hogwarts because I wouldn't get a traditional well-rounded education and I had to agree to go to summer school to get her to agree to send me at all. It's a bloody nuisance."  
  
Neville whispered to Terry, "What do you think the chances are that Hermione will ask her parents to send her to Muggle School over the summer?" Terry gave out a little giggle.  
  
"What do you think is funny Terry, Neville?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Nothing, nothing." Neville responded but he was still giggling a little.  
  
"Oh, Terry, Ginny was going to give you back your paper, if you haven't seen her yet." Hermione said.  
  
"Er, she actually already returned it to me." Terry responded.  
  
"That's good, how is it going?" She said.  
  
"I still need two more people from Slytherin and one each from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor and the Heads of houses to read it yet, but it is going alright." Terry replied.  
  
"Well I'll read it for Hufflepuff, if it's ok. It will be a good break from solving indeterminate form equations." Sally-Anne said.  
  
"And I'll look over it, if you want." Neville said.  
  
"I guess I'll look over it when you two are done, but we really should get back to Arithmancy." Cho said.  
  
"Cho, don't bother, I can probably find someone else, if you're too busy." Terry said.  
  
"Oh, no it will be no problem." Cho said.  
  
"Have good luck with the Slytherins." Sally said, as she picked up the paper and started reading. Cho moved to help Neville with his derivation, which he was having trouble with.  
  
***  
  
Rowena Ravenclaw looked over the enchanted looms she had installed in the dungeons, which were quickly weaving tapestries to be placed all around the school. Godric had wanted to simply magic them, but Rowena always felt that if things were actually manufactured instead of simply magiked they had greater permanence and beauty. She had needed Salazar's support, but she had won in the end, on this at least. It was nowhere near as important as where she was losing on all the other fronts.  
  
After the first battle on random student placement, they had had an argument about how to choose the students who would be invited. In the end, they went for the familiar solution that each would choose twenty students who would live in their dormitories to invite separately, and then would share the lists with each other to avoid overlap. Whoever lost the student in question to the others dormitory, could then choose to invite others. In fact they were going to meet to discuss their lists tonight.  
  
On top of it, Rowena had lost the fight over who taught what spectacularly. They had agreed that they would teach Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, The Dark Arts and their Defenses, Magical Creatures, Magical Lore, Latin, Runes, Astronomy, and Divination. Salazar would teach Potions and the Dark Arts and their Defenses, although Helga tried really hard to get potions saying that Salazar would teach them poisons which was nowhere near as important as knowing healing potions, she had lost that battle when Rowena and Godric had them each brew a couple of complicated potions, all of which Salazar had made admirably and Helga failed miserably with the Draught of Living Death. Helga had been given the Herbology job as conciliation and was put in charge of Magical Lore; seeing as she was more knowledgeable then any of the others except Rowena in this field and Rowena flat out refused it. Godric would teach Transfiguration and Magical Creatures; even though Rowena was a little worried he'd bring a dragon into the school. Rowena, on the other hand, was teaching Charms (one of her favorites) as well as Latin, Runes, Astronomy and Divination because the others said that she was more qualified than the others in these fields and wouldn't listen to her when she said this would be too much. She still had a slim hope of getting Salazar to teach Latin, and would perhaps give Astronomy over to Bulrian, who she had instructed quite thoroughly in the subject, but had for the most part resigned herself to being way too busy.  
  
She got up and walked to the great hall, where they were going to have a meeting and probably another argument, hopefully not a fight.  
  
***  
  
Salazar went first with is list of students, who turned out to all be from established wizarding families. Rowena saw no problem with his list, but did have four overlaps that had been divided evenly. Helga had no overlap with Salazar, which sped things up. Godric, too, had had two overlaps, but his major problems came from another source.  
  
"You can't invite the son of a Necromancer to this school. I will simply not permit such a dark wizard in the school." Godric yelled at him.  
  
"We agreed at the beginning that we would each choose our own students, Godric, and it is Salazar's right too invite him." Rowena had said, trying to calm him down, though from the look on Helga's face it was clear that she, too, doubted Salazar's choice.  
  
"While, shall we move on then," Salazar said.  
  
"Yes, ok I'll read my list now." Rowena said, seeking to move away from this argument. Her list went fine, and she discovered that she had three overlaps with Godric, but none with Helga. In addition, there were five students on her list who drew some criticism; two wards of the church, a mapmaker's apprentice, a weaver and a young romany.  
  
"How do you expect to get those children out from under the eyes of the clergy, Rowena?" Godric asked.  
  
"And how dare you let one of those traveling thieves into this school?" Helga added.  
  
"It would be better if we just didn't invite the children of muggles. They are generally worse at magic anyways, and we risk detection with everyone of those students you admit." Salazar said.  
  
"Be quiet Salazar." Godric said menacingly.  
  
"We decided that we would each get to choose our students individually, not in council, and I believe I can get these students here without attracting too much attention, so if you would please move on." Rowena said.  
  
Godric, then reluctantly, began reading his lists, and there were no overlaps on the list that hadn't already been resolved when Salazar's and Rowena's lists were read. However they soon got to bicker over his students.  
  
"The court page, Godric, you have got to be kidding me!!!" Salazar snarled at him. "There is no way you could hide that, and you were worried about Rowena and the Church!!! The baron poses more of a threat, and you know this won't escape his notice!!! He isn't going to be happy when he hears we inhabit his castle!!! And seven other muggle born, three aristocrats. You must be mad!!!"  
  
"Salazar, calm down." Rowena said, grabbing his robes, trying to pull him into his seat.  
  
"If you get rid of the Necromancer, I'll get rid of the page." Godric said.  
  
"No." Salazar said.  
  
"Come on Sal, it's a good deal. You shouldn't be so dismissive." Helga said.  
  
"No, and don't call me Sal." Salazar snarled at her.  
  
"Remember what we decided at the beginning, we could invite anyone for our houses that we see fit, and none of the others objections could stop them from coming." Rowena said, trying to calm him. "Godric, are you sure you can get him without anyone noticing?"  
  
"Absolutely." Godric said.  
  
"Now Salazar, sit down and be quiet so Helga can read her list." Rowena said. Slytherin reluctantly obliged, glaring at the other three and muttering about this being his idea in the first place.  
  
Helga's list was extremely surprising. It was composed half of the relatives of village healers and other lower class magicians, and half of the children of farmers and herders.  
  
"So now we're admitting the common rabble." Salazar said.  
  
"Am I teaching basic literacy now? I was hoping you would take the ability to read into consideration." Rowena said.  
  
"There is nothing wrong with not being able to read, I'm sure some of your choices aren't all that much better." Helga retorted.  
  
"These are farmers children, they were born in the mud and are destined to die there. You can't wash that out of their blood Helga." Salazar said.  
  
"Any buffoon can seem if they are dressed in finery and claim a aristocratic background, but are not much better than filth Salazar, while the truly worthy man can appear as filth and it doesn't lessen his value one bit." Godric said.  
  
"Do whatever you please, but this will not come to a good end. Now if you'll excuse me I have work to do and can't be wasting my time with you fools." Salazar said and walked out of the hall.  
  
  
  
A/N: Another long one. Please don't be scared by the math, it really wasn't that bad and I couldn't resist punning on two of what are, in my opinion, the most philosophical of mathematical principles. Don't worry; Salazar stays on for a few more years, even if he is not entirely happy.  
  
Disclaimer: JKR owns the HP realm along with her associates, need I say more?  
  
Me, Thank you for your review, we really do need more Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. 


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